1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to plumbing systems and more particularly to universal pipe support hangers and clamps for use in water and waste pipe systems.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In new building construction, multiple water and drain lines for plumbing fixtures, such as sinks, laundry tubs, bath tubs, lavatories, and other fixtures must be provided. Additionally, electrical lines and conduit runs for circuit breaker boxes, switching panels and related electrical fixtures must be located, some of the electrical conduit lines being run along the water and drain lines. In larger commercial buildings where electrical and plumbing conduit needs exist in large amounts, adequate support and organization of these lines and conduits becomes increasingly important. Failure to provide adequate support separation and retention can easily result in sagging, loosened pipes or severely vibrating lines, all of which may have undesired consequences such as rupture, breakage, and noise from vibration or movement.
In order to prevent these consequences, pipe hanger supports have been developed in many styles. Generally, the hangers are assembled from separate members so as to be adapted to a specific situation, and are not universal in nature.
One such hanger system is disclosed in Kearney (U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,175). Kearney discloses at least three separate pipe support members, each of which is adapted for different applications. A first plastic support is shown in FIGS. 1, 1A and 2 and consists of an elongated planar web with two connected flanges. Upper and lower edges of the flanges have several spaced recesses for receiving pipes oriented in a direction transverse to the elongated web. The web has several clearance holes spaced so that two bolts inserted within a small clamp can pass through, and secure a water supply pipe into a recess by tightening a nut against the opposite side of the web. A curved or compound curved, medial support cut-out also is provided on a lower surface, so that a transversely aligned, large diameter drain, waste or vent pipe (DWV) can be engaged thereagainst by a pair of bolts and a large clamp. A second plastic support, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, generally comprises a sideways facing, open channel with an elongated web integrally connected to first and second flanges that extend out from one side of the web, at right angles. A lower surface of one flange defines a plurality of recesses and clearance holes which can cooperate with bolts and a small clamp to secure a water pipe in a direction transverse to the elongated web. A curved waste pipe contact section integrally is formed in the upper surface of the opposite flange for securing, via two bolts and a clamp, the pipe support to a DWV extending in a direction parallel to the water pipes (FIG. 3). Two clearance holes through the web also allow affixing the support to a DWV also extending in a direction transverse to the water pipes (FIG. 4). Two versions of a third support, shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, comprise an elongated plastic channel support member with one end defining a T-shaped contact member for clamping to a DWV via a strap, so that the elongated channel can stand-off perpendicular with respect to the DWV. This third support may be bolted together with either of the first two supports, which in turn may be secured to one or more water supply pipes.
Hence, the Kearney approach requires separate pipe supports that often must be bolted together, and difficult manipulations of bolts and nuts to clamp each support against each other or around a pipe. For instance, in order to stand-off several small vertical water pipes against a vertical DWV, it is necessary to make several bolt/nut interconnections, including a fitting together of first and second support members, all as shown by Kearney at FIG. 5. Those interconnections require manipulations that particularly are difficult overhead or in tight chase spaces, where loose water pipes, nuts, clamps and supports all separately must be held in alignment while many nuts are first started on many bolts, and then tightened.
Another prior art approach to this general problem is represented by a set of four plastic support elements, sold by Sumner Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Houston, Tex. as the Sumner Pipe Support and Alignment System. A Posifix.RTM. support is solid plastic with an upper surface pre-slotted to support water lines, a bottom surface with a medial cut-out to engage a DWV that is parallel to the water pipes. Different size plastic clamps, with clearance holes to accept sheet metal screws, are used to secure each pipe. Screw pilot holes are located on either side of each slot and the medial cut-out.
A Pipefix.RTM. support functionally is equivalent to the Posifix.RTM. support, but comprises an elongated central web and integrally connected elongated first and second flanges that extend at right angles to the web. Lower edges of each flange define a plurality of recesses which can cooperate with small clamps to secure pipes in a direction transverse to the elongated web. That securing step requires aligning both a small plastic clamp and a set of two sheet metal screws over pilot holes in the web. The pilot holes are visible on either side of each recess, but the small clamp is loose and must be aligned carefully on the outer surface of the pipe to permit each screw to enter its associated pilot hole, in a web spaced well below the small clamp. A medial DWV curved contact section and another plurality of recesses also are formed in upper edges of each flange. The Pipefix.RTM. upper surface therefore can be secured at a medial location to a DWV via a stainless steel band that passes through slots in the web, or can be secured to one or more parallel water pipes via small plastic clamps and separate sheet metal screws, as in the case of its lower surface.
A plastic Stakfix.RTM. support comprises an elongated channel support member with one end defining a T-shaped contact member for clamping to a DWV via a stainless steel band, so that the elongated channel can stand-off perpendicular with respect to the DWV, in the same fashion as the third support shown by Kearney is intended to stand-off from a DWV.
A simple plastic channel is the fourth part of the Summer system, and is intended to fit around conventional, P-2000 Unistrut.TM. metal channel, as an insulating cover, or bolted as bridge between a pair of opposed Stakfix.RTM. stand-off supports.